Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Do you only conduct benchmarking in the area of supply chain? What aspect of supply chain do you benchmark?

Benchmarking Success are specialists in the area of benchmarking the supply chains of organisations against comparable companies and/or supply chains. In addition to the service and cost aspects of supply chain performance, we are also able to benchmark specific areas of the supply chain, e.g. warehouse performance.

Question: We believe our business is quite unique, how would you compare us with others?

Our benchmarking service goes to great lengths to ensure that a comparable dataset is achieved so that a true ‘apples to apples’ comparison can be made. We therefore are keen to accurately profile our customers existing supply chain and then find appropriate comparisons against the key elements of the supply chain. With over 800 datasets in our database we have a very high success rate in satisfying our customers desire to be assessed against a comparable group.

Question: We have different streams in our supply chain, for example, we have different processes to handle “Make to Stock” products and “Make to Order” products. How would you take care of our case?

The supply chains included in our dataset are many and varied and include almost every conceivable combination of supply chain from the most complex to the simplest, and with a multitude of different processes and systems. It is very unlikely that we would not have come across a customer’s situation in the past.

Question: You say that you have more than 800 supply chains in your database, how many of the dataset is up to date?

We encourage our customers to update their data regularly – at least every 2 years to ensure that we keep our data up to date and relevant.

Question: Will you tell us the “name” of companies in which we would be compared against?

We are able to supply a sample listing of the companies that are included in the aggregated grouping of companies against which a customer’s supply chain is compared.

Question: How much time and effort do we need for the data collection exercise? Who should we be expecting their involvement? Do we get your assistance during the data collection?

Our customers tell us that, on average, it takes 24 manhours to collect and input the required data into the questionnaire and this typically takes an elapsed period of 2-3 weeks to completions. This period varies though depending on access to the data and the resources allocated to this project. It is imperative that the data is accurate to ensure the integrity of our database, and so we make an allowance for one of our consultants to assist with this part of the project.

Question: What if we do not have some of the data that you ask for?

Is the data is not available then we ask that you tick the “Do not know” box rather than making a guess.

Question: After we complete the data collection, how long will it take you to process a report for us?

Because of the amount of data to be analysed and assessed and the detailed reporting provided to our customers, an allowance of up to 2 weeks needs to be made for the processing of the data and report preparation.

Question: What should we be expecting from the report? Will the report tell us how we should improve?

The provided report includes a series of standard as well as tailored reports that measure and compare both cost performance and service performance. Based on these reports, areas for improvement in either service or costs or both are provided and presented along with a series of recommendations and ‘Pathway to Supply Chain excellence’.

Question: How do you charge for the service?

Our fees are based on a fixed fee with the amount being dependent on which of the services and reports are requested.

Question: There are two areas of DIFOT, one at the warehouse and another is at a carrier. How do you define the measurement of DIFOT in each case?

Warehouse DIFOT is Dispatched In Full and On Time. That is, did the warehouse processes, systems and staff manage to get all orders out of the DC on time (on time to meet the delivery time ‘promised’ to the customer) and complete (i.e. in full, with no shortages).

DIFOT for distribution relates to the ability of the company, through its transport network, to deliver the ordered products both on time – i.e. as requested and agreed – and in full – i.e. without any damages or shortages.

Question: How many companies are in each group in order to make the comparison meaningful?

We prefer to have a comparative group consisting of a minimum of 15 other supply chains in order to ensure statistical validity and to protect confidentiality.

Question: How many companies does BMS have in the database?

We have over 800 companies in our database.

Question:How often should companies in the database refresh their data?

Every 2 years.

Question: Given the Lead Time for each company is not the same, can you still compare SC performances among companies who have different Lead Time?

Lead time is the time taken from order capture and receipt from the customer, to the time that the order is delivered. The delivery time is based on the concept of ‘deliver to promise’, i.e. deliver at the time that has been either promised or agreed with the customer. It does not matter whether this agreed lead time is 1 day or 1 week, what is measured is ‘did we meet the customer’s expectation?’

Question: What does it means by Best In Class?

In the Level 1 Metrics report, performance that is deemed “Advantage” represents performance that is in the top 20% of recorded results.

Question: How do we know that BMS has selected the right group of companies to compare with our company?

For over 18 years BMS has been undertaking Supply Chain benchmarking for organisations and has built up an unmatched database as well as many years of experience that ensure that the comparative group that is selected is appropriate for the company seeking benchmarking reporting.